Monthly Archives: December 2009

I fondly reflect on a journey I shared with my mum in 1998 to her home country of England. I smile to myself how her towering frame no longer loomed over me, but her towering spirit still resonates within me. I was accompanying my mum on a trip back to England to visit with her old London grade school friends. A trip that was focused on her and her pals, soon became a series of discoveries presented in so many delightful ways between my mum and I.

Bath England July 1998

My mum was 79 at this point, and I was 39 and this was our first ‘road trip’ since our shopping endeavours to Seattle in the early 70’s to get me clothed for the upcoming school year. Many things had changed: my 6 foot mum was not longer looking down on me, she was slower physically, and needed significantly more assistance, but mentally she was as sharp as a whip. I will always cherish the moment we were on our 6th lap of the roundabout outside of Heathrow airport, and my mum had the British Road Atlas spread out, and was able to discern the correct exit on the map with her one eye as I white knuckled the corner again and again.

I realize so often at the time, we look so hard into events attempting to access the deeper meaning, when with the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight it is abundantly clear. Nothing of great significance occurred on this trip, but the wisdom of the ‘sweet small moments’ have sustained me since her departure in 2006.

I fondly reflect on a journey I shared with my mum in 1998 to her home country of England. I smile to myself how her towering frame no longer loomed over me, but her towering spirit still resonates within me. I was accompanying my mum on a trip back to England to visit with her...